Marcy's Review of KILL RIVER by Cameron Roubique

Hi, my name is Marcela and one of my absolute favorite things in the world, besides dogs, are water parks.  They encompass everything I love: fun, water, and food!  So needless to say that when I saw a horror novel, better yet a slasher horror novel, that took place in a water park I was SOLD! I mean really, is there anything better?!  But, before we get into the nitty-gritty of the book, let me also express my love for 80’s/90’s slasher horror. In equal parts movie and book format they each hold a special place in my heart.  They always get my heart racing and pounding. But not just a little pounding, no no no, it’s the kind of pounding that you most certainly feel like the people around you can also hear.  I guess growing up in said times can do that to a girl! 

Now jumping into Kill River by Cameron Roubique, WOW, just WOW.  Talk about a heart pounder.  This story is set in the Summer of 1983 and we follow Cyndi along with three friends who decide that they have had enough with the kiddie summer camp their parents sent them to. Teenagers will be teenagers, we’ve all been-there-done-that!  So, they venture out to explore outside the camp perimeter when lo and behold they end up lost in the woods. We stumble upon our first creepy moment that first night, I mean imagine being lost in the dark woods for a whole entire night, no thank you. Alas morning arrives and with it comes an empty water park! FUN!!! ...Or is it?  

What would you do if you stumbled across an empty water park? As for me, I would run right in and have a blast, especially if I’m with a group of friends.  But, it’s all fun and games until a “masked maniac” shows up and someone disappears.  And that is exactly what happens in the story.  

Now I will admit that it’s a slow start, but I find that that’s typical with this kind of story. Once you cross the 80-page mark though the pacing starts improving. Our main protagonist, Cyndi, turns out to be real kick-ass. At the beginning of the novel, we meet her as an introverted teen who really wants to be left alone and is just attending this camp to appease her parents.  By the end of this novel, she is fighting with all her might to escape this psycho killer.  There were scenes throughout this book where I was looking over my shoulder making sure the masked man wasn’t behind me, cause it felt so vivid.  I think this goes without mentioning but there is blood and gore throughout this book, would it really be a slasher horror novel without it though? 

All in all, if you’re a fan of B-movie/slasher horror I would highly recommend Kill River. 

4/5 stars